The draw for the league phase of the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League campaign took place in Monaco on Thursday, with two South African stars also learning their opponents.
The league phase was introduced in the 2024/25 season, with Paris Saint-Germain winning both the last two campaigns.
During the league phase every team plays eight matches, with the top eight teams qualifying for the Last 16. Spots nine to 24 meet each other in an additional playoff round.
Teams finishing 25th–36th place in the league phase and the eight losers of the knockout play-offs are eliminated.
From the Round of 16, the Champions League continues in its traditional knockout format, with quarter-finals, semi-finals and final, which is set to take place in Madrid on 5 June this season.
The league phase will kick off on 8-10 September and conclude on 27 January 2027.
There are two South African players guaranteed in the UCL league phase with Aden McCarthy and newcomers Sabah FK, as well as Manasseh Kianga with Slovan Bratislava. There is also Thato Sibiya with LOSC Lille, but he will start his stint in France with the reserve side.
McCarthy’s Sabah have dream draw, facing Spanish giants FC Barcelona and Arsenal among their eight league phase opponents. The others are: Borussia Dortmund, Manchester United, Villarreal, Napoli, Slavia and Viking.
Meanwhile, Slovan will face defending champions PSG as well as Inter Milan, Real Betis, Roma, Shakhtar, Lille, Stuttgart, and LASK.
Full league phase draw:
